Ceanothus thyrs. repens
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens is a low, spreading evergreen shrub forming a wide mat of arching shoots, typically around 60–90cm tall and 2.5–4m across at maturity. Glossy mid-green leaves to about 4cm long provide year‑round foliage, and in late spring to early summer it bears masses of pale blue flowers in compact panicles. Suited to sunny, sheltered Irish gardens, it’s excellent as ground cover and can be trained against a warm wall; ideal for coastal settings and attractive to bees and other pollinators. Grow in fertile, well‑drained soil and avoid waterlogging; foliage may become chlorotic on very shallow chalk. Lightly prune after flowering to maintain shape (evergreen Ceanothus, RHS pruning group 8).
To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.
Plant at a Glance
facing:south
facing:west
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soilmoisture:normal
foliage:evergreen
flowering:may
flowering:june
flowercolour:blue
leafcolour:green
size:60-90cm
wildlife:attractive-to-pollinators
wildlife:attractive-to-bees
gardenstyle:cottage-garden
specialconditions:tolerates-drought
specialconditions:coastal-conditions
specialconditions:dry-sun